I’ve been working on a definition of the church. It’s for our upcoming sermon series. I’d like to develop a definition that would allow me to explore a single word from the definition each Sunday. The whole venture could take six to eight weeks. Here’s what I’ve got so far: 0 0 1 25 148…
“Get closer.” It came as God’s invitation to a distant pastor. Me. I’m exiting the most difficult ministry season of my life. It has been a year of wrestling with heaviness, fear, loneliness, and sin. But something is different now, after God’s invitation. I’m leaning in; I’m picking up the phone and calling people….
Lately, I’ve been thinking about farming. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not planning to forsake my ordination vows. Nor am I considering the bi-vocational option of preaching by day and raising chickens by night. Instead, I’ve been considering the origins of the pastoral office. Tonight I read this quote from God found in Ezekiel 34,…
I’m officially in a new office. While I was away on holidays my workspace was relocated (don’t worry, I agreed with the move before I left). My new space has a similar look to the former (squarish space with one window and one door) but now it’s in a low-traffic high-cinderblock laden section of the…
It’s been awhile. I’ve been neglectful lately. I’m sorry. I spent last week speaking in evening chapels at Mishewah family camp. It’s one of our denominational camps near Pembroke, Ontario. My family was there with a handful of others from HMC, a whole lot of people from other parts of the province, and countless blood-thristy…
I’m finally finished. I set a goal for myself back a year or two ago to read through Eugene Peterson’s 5 volume spiritual theology series. Tonight I turned the last page in my final book, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places. If you know anything about the series you’ll know that this book is actually…
Clergy burn out. I starting to wonder what’s going on. I don’t want to be a burn-out stat so here’s a few commitments: 1. Embrace Further Education – It’s easy to regurgitate information and rely on past successes. Especially when you’re preaching almost every week. That’s why I’m hoping to take a week long course…
“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” (Mark 11:23 NIV). I believe in moving mountains. Actually, we have one growing in our church parking…
We retreated this week. That’s right, our pastoral team waved goodbye to our families and our offices for 2 days in order to spend time in Stayner, ON. While away we set goals, bounced around ideas for congregational discipleship, and we even had time for a late night game of euchre. But my most significant…